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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · spring · mark · cue · bowl · current · clip · pitch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spring — the season
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cue — a hint
  8. race — humankind
  9. current — happening now
  10. cue — a signal
  11. clip — a video
  12. spring — of water
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mark — a trace
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. current — of water
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — electric
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com